With a beautiful lake as their backdrop, Parima and Ayush’s wedding celebrations in Udaipur were rich with Rajasthani grandeur, classy decor, and rousing music by talented performers.

Parima and Ayush planned a modern yet traditional wedding in beautiful Udaipur which included a chic ‘Wine & Cheese’ afternoon as well an ‘Antakshari’ competition between family members. Here bride Parima shares how everything unfolded at Hotel Lakend and Ananta Resorts - in Udaipur, and WeddingSutra Favorite House on The Clouds deftly captured the candid emotions and excitement of the celebrations.

How We Met "We met in an arranged marriage setup through a common family friend in 2015. I would not say that Ayush and I clicked the first time we met, but still, we knew that we wanted to keep meeting to know each other better. We met again, a month later, with his parents and my brother. Ayush and my brother kept talking the whole time forgetting that I was present at the dinner too. We did not chat at all that night which left us confused about how to move forward. When our families asked us about how we felt, we did not have an answer, which doubled the confusion! The next time we met, we were more comfortable talking to each other and a bit more confident about taking things ahead. After this meeting, we kept in regular touch over the phone. By January 2016, we were sure we wanted to get married to each other.”

Wedding Venues “We wanted wedding venues that would be convenient for guests and elders in our families. That is how we settled on Udaipur as the destination for our wedding. After several visits there, we shortlisted Hotel Lakend and Ananta Resorts as we had fallen in love with both the properties. Hotel Lakend is situated at the Fatehsagar Lake and Ananta Resorts is situated on a hill. Our wedding functions took place in Udaipur as well as in Indore.”

Haldi The colorful floral décor used in an outdoor setting for haldi illuminated the beautiful venue. Parima decided to go with a bright yellow ensemble for this ceremony which contrasted with the variety of subtle colors of the many flowers that were used to deck up the arena.

Mehendi This was an intimate function that saw close family and friends having a great time. The function's decor included yellow as the dominant color, with other subtle shades of white, pink and green beautifully incorporated into the setup with beautiful florals. Parima looked every bit a happy bride in her pink and blue lehenga.

'Antakshari' Night “Even though we had a separate sangeet evening, we decided to host an ‘antakshari’ (musical competition) night with loved ones as an ice-breaker between the two families. The decor for this event was inspired by Bollywood, and this party was converted into a cocktail evening later.”

Wine & Cheese “We had a ‘Wine & Cheese’ afternoon which was a very contemporary event for the younger guests. The daylight setting with chic white decor and guests in colorful attire with party hats added to the overall ambiance. The Wedding Bartender stirred up some brilliant sangrias and wine cocktails which nobody could resist. Guests also enjoyed Maddy Sharma’s rendition of unplugged melodies alongside great continental cuisine and excellent cheese.”

Sangeet "Ayush and I decided to wear contrasting colors for the sangeet. I opted for a gorgeous blue-embroidered draped gown and got my makeup look done by Bianca Louzado. Ayush wore a red bandhgala ensemble for the function. Going with the musical theme for the function, we had a fully illuminated indoor hall for the guests to sit back and enjoy the rhythms and hit tracks.”

Wedding “The beautiful lake at Hotel Lakend proved to be a wonderful backdrop for the wedding. The gold-pillared mandap was decorated with lots of dangling garlands and white and red flowers which gave it a very traditional feel. I wore a traditional zardozi lehenga created by a local craftsman from Kolkata for my big day. I’d always wanted my wedding outfit to be in the traditional maroon color. This one featured key elements like an elephant, the royal garden, and peacocks among others which gave it a very regal Rajasthani theme. Ayush wore an ivory sherwani with simple zardozi work and a maroon shawl to compliment my lehenga as well as a golden turban. Bianca Louzado did my makeup for this function, and I was amazed how light my makeup felt while still managing to cover up my skin imperfections and accentuate my natural features. If any bride wants to look and feel her best on her wedding, Bianca has the magic wand to achieve that! ”

Reception “Our reception was more of a cool-down party. The decor for this event was kept very simple and elegant with an illuminated entrance. I wore a beautiful bottle green lehenga by Shyamal & Bhumika, whereas Ayush wore a dapper suit designed by SS Homme. We all enjoyed a fabulous performance by Shalmali Kholgade which lightened up the mood and kept our guests entertained the entire evening."